Round Square is an international partnership of over 250 schools in more than 50 countries and territories committed to fostering student leadership. The school joined the organization in 1998 to further its focus on service and connect students with peers across the world.
Round Square unites international-school communities by fostering six core principles known as the IDEALS: internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership, and service.
The Round Square IDEALS are present across school programming, from day-to-day classes to clubs to the campus. Mr. Dave Thompson, director of international programs, said, “Round Square offers us a lens that we can choose to use when examining our programming.”
For example, the school commits to democracy through various club initiatives, weekly student-faculty meetings, and the student government. Mr. Thompson said, “In this context, democracy is not so much about politics, but more about the engagement within the community.”
The school’s heating plant, which uses sustainable local wood pellets, contributes to environmentalism; community roles such as proctor and all-school president show leadership; St. Luke’s Society and other groups engage in community service; and adventure is present across many of the courses and co-curricular that students can join.
Delegates from member schools gather every year for the annual Round Square Conference, which is held at a different school each year. Mr. Thompson said, “The conference is intended to help students bond with peers from other countries and cultures and rely on those friendships to make sense of the world we live in in constructive ways.” Recent conferences have taken place in England and Kenya.
Students who attend the Round Square Conference meet students from other schools and participate in discussions and activities. Dwyer Illick ’26, a delegate at last year’s conference, said, “Getting to meet 200 people in a week and living in a dorm with them in close spaces brought me amazing connections, which was my biggest takeaway. It was like a microcosm of the whole world crammed into one school.”
Delegates also have the opportunity to listen to guest speakers present on the IDEALS. Speakers at last year’s conference in Kenya included Henry Wanyoike, a Kenyan Paralympic runner, and Richard Turere, a Kenyan inventor and entrepreneur.
Illick said, “If we reflect on the ways IDEALS have been present at Hotchkiss, we realize that the school is a mini Round Square itself—you meet and form valuable bonds with people from many different countries around the world here.”
The school is preparing to send a student delegation comprised of Lillie Dase ’26, Arielle Sibley-Grice ’26, Steven Hicks ’26, Chrys Yue ’26, Warren Edwards ’27, Chiwo Mupita ’27, and Deven Patel ’27 to Colombia in September of 2024 for the 56th annual conference.
